Gary Lineker explains Newcastle goal line technology confusion amid Alan Shearer verdict
Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has admitted he is unsure whether Joe Willock's equaliser in the FA Cup against Birmingham should have stood.
The Magpies controversially brought the game level after 21 minutes after the former Arsenal midfielder poked the ball home. Despite Bailey Peacock-Farrell beating the ball away, the official on the far side ruled that the effort had already crossed the line.
VAR has already been in the conversation this weekend after Manchester United's stoppage-time winner against Leicester City was allowed to stand, despite Harry Maguire being in an offside position. With the Blues in League One, goal line technology is not in use domestically but it has been in-use for some matches this season.
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Just four minutes later, Newcastle were in front for the first time after Callum Wilson stabbed home after a scramble in the Birmingham box. But a thumping effort from Tomoki Iwata restored parity once again in the contest.
Presenter Gary Lineker explained that the technology is not in use at League One clubs but is for Premier League outfits. He said: "We need to see if it's actually over the line or not, there is goal-line technology in the FA Cup but not at a League One side, it has been in other games that have been played.
"Therefore we won't really know and I'm not sure how the assistant referee could know."
"He's certainly not in-line," Shearer said. "We picture him there, he's four yards behind and he's made a huge call there. We've frozen it and we're not sure if it is or not but Newcastle will take it."
Former Birmingham defender Curtis Davies believes the assistant on the far side guessed in his decision. He argued: "You've got a linesman there who has guessed, that's it.
"When there's no technology, he's had to make a call and for me, that's not definitive. We've stopped it a hundred times during the game and we couldn't decide. The fact he's looking through a player as well, it's just a guess.
